Q&A for How to Write on Wood

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What type of wood works best for making custom wood signs?

Garrett Faust
Designer & Fabricator of Custom Wood Wall Art & Signs
Garrett Faust is a Designer & Fabricator of Custom Wood Wall Art & Signs. He is also the Co-Founder of Uptown Woodworks based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With over seven years of professional experience, Garrett and co-founder, Harrison, specialize in creating custom wood wall art and signs. They use CNC lasers and routers to cut out or engrave detailed artwork. Garrett received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of St. Thomas.

Garrett Faust

Designer & Fabricator of Custom Wood Wall Art & Signs

Expert Answer

For outdoor use, I recommend using Douglas fir or vertical grain Douglas fir. These woods hold up very well in outdoor conditions over time. For indoor signs, good choices are birch, pine, poplar or maple. These lighter colored woods allow the wood grain to show through nicely after staining.

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What tools help make precise cuts and details when making custom wood signs?

Garrett Faust
Designer & Fabricator of Custom Wood Wall Art & Signs
Garrett Faust is a Designer & Fabricator of Custom Wood Wall Art & Signs. He is also the Co-Founder of Uptown Woodworks based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With over seven years of professional experience, Garrett and co-founder, Harrison, specialize in creating custom wood wall art and signs. They use CNC lasers and routers to cut out or engrave detailed artwork. Garrett received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of St. Thomas.

Garrett Faust

Designer & Fabricator of Custom Wood Wall Art & Signs

Expert Answer

Laser cutters and CNC routers allow for extremely precise cuts and details that would be difficult to achieve by hand tools alone. I use these machines to cut out shapes as well as custom letters and designs for signs. They are very useful for getting clean edges and intricate shapes.

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Question

What paint or pen do you use to write on wood?

Claire Donovan-Blackwood
Arts & Crafts Specialist
Claire Donovan-Blackwood is an Arts & Crafts Specialist and CEO of Heart Handmade UK, a site dedicated to helping people live a happy, creative life. With over 13 years of experience, Claire uses art as a form of therapy and focuses on mindfulness in the making of art. She makes crafting easy and accessible for those she works with. Claire received her B.A. in Photography & Visual Imagery from The University of Huddersfield.

Claire Donovan-Blackwood

Arts & Crafts Specialist

Expert Answer

I recommend using a pencil on the wood first, then fill in the letters with either acrylic paint and a brush or an acrylic paint marker. If you use a fine liner or an alcohol-based ink, the color will bleed when you're writing. However, avoid using alcohol-based ink on your wood.

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Do I have to write "FREE BEER"?

🌻 Summer 🌻

Community Answer

You don’t have write this phrase. It’s the example. You can write other phrases, such as “Welcome home!”

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Question

Can I just write "Meep!"?

Community Answer

Yes. You’re creating the template, so feel free to write whatever you’d like.

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I want to write names and numbers on small discs of raw wood for a birthday calendar. What ink type should I use so it does not bleed?

Dale Lindsay

Community Answer

Use acrylic. Walmart has good cheap acrylic paint called "Apple Barrel". It's perfect for what you are doing. It's water based and non-toxic. It's also quick drying and easy to clean up in case of accidents.

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